The present invention relates to a procedure for the configuration of a bus-type data transmission network which can be connected and disconnected at any of the nodes and in which the nodes can be set for communication in either or both directions.
In the data transmission networks known so far, different nodes are only identified as logical addresses, i.e. as types of device etc., while the physical location of the nodes is ignored.
In certain applications, particularly in local networks where the nodes typically have a low data processing capacity but are movable and may have several functions, it has been found that it is important to obtain information relating to the physical location of the nodes. Characteristically, such networks often have an open and dispersed structure and should also be insensitive to damage suffered by individual nodes and similar interruptions. Since the practical networks, especially local ones, must be simple and comply with industrial standards, the above requirements can only be met by configuring the existing networks in a suitable manner.